Lost: The Next Chapter
by ComedyGirl
Summary: Since the last time she stepped foot on the Island, Kate felt as if she were wandering aimlessly, trying to find her purpose in a world without Jack. Some time has passed and Kate once again, along with some familiar castaways, finds herself back on the Island. There's a new villain in town, one who threatens to take away everything she loves most but as always, she'll fight for it
1. A New Beginning

The wheel on the drink cart was coming loose. Passengers winced as it rolled by them, pretending not be affected by the high pitch screech that interrupted them from their sleep. In their defense it had been several hours before any of them had felt solid ground beneath their feet, and for many, it would never happen again. By the time the drink cart rolled up to seat 21A many passengers wanted to send it flying out the exit door, but not the man in black who was handed a scotch on the rocks. He took it from the flight attendant and smiled, showing a row of white teeth.

"Thanks, I needed this." The man said, tipping the glass to the side to hear the satisfying clink of the ice and then, down the hatch it went. As he placed it on his tray he glanced over to the woman sitting across the row from him, who hadn't stopped staring at him the whole flight.

"M'am? Would you like something from the cart?" The flight attendant asked the lady, but she was too busy staring at the man in black. She couldn't help but notice how his tie was coming loose from around his neck, and she couldn't help it but, she pictured herself undoing it in another time and place, so far in her past it felt like a dream.

"M'am?"

"Oh," Kate snapped out of it, her eyes focusing in on the seat where Jack had been moments before but was seamlessly gone in an instant. "Sorry, no I'm okay."

The flight attendant rolled her cart on to torture more passengers before she would make her next stop. Kate sighed and shifted her weight in the seat, tugging at her jean jacket she had recently began to regret wearing. Everyone looked cozy, comfortable, even, tucked into their airline provided blanket and their heads resting on the cheap, polyester seat pillows. A child's cry interrupted Kate from her thoughts and she took a sharp breath in when she saw those cries came from a baby, swaddled in blue fabric who was being held by a young mother, blue eyed and bleach blonde.

"No." Kate whispered to herself, closing her eyes and then opening them again; young Aaron and Claire had vanished. Looking for any sort of escape from sitting in her cramped airline seat, she looked back to the lavatory which, to her dismay, still read 'occupied'.

"Waiting on somebody, freckles?"

A knot tied in Kate's stomach and tightened, threatening to shut down her system all together. But, it wouldn't be so bad, she thought, to suddenly drop down onto the floor, she wouldn't have to endure the rest of the flight conscious. Sawyer stood above her, leaning on the seat in front, one hand in the pocket of his faded jeans. The sunlight that shone through the window warmed his golden yellow hair, appearing to form some sort of halo. Kate chuckled.

"Always." She smiled, half gesturing to the empty seat that held Jack Shepard moments before.

"May I have a seat?"

The seat next to Kate was occupied but, that person had gotten up and left momentarily leaving only a cup of water on the drink tray and a few crumbs on the blue fabric seat. Kate could tell Sawyer was dying to get into that seat, ask her questions she herself didn't quite know the answers to. She owed him a few explanations and a few apologies for how she had treated him over the years, but now was not the time.

"You know I'm actually-"

The ding of the seat belt sign interrupted her.

"Good afternoon everyone," the captain spoke over the loudspeaker. "We're experiencing some slight turbulence so if you could go ahead and fasten your seat belts it would be much appreciated. Once again, we are on schedule and in a quick three hours we will begin our decent into Bangkok."

Sawyer smiled meekly and backed away, returning to his seat just a little ways up the aisle. Kate watched as he buckled himself into the seat with ease, and flipped open a magazine he had been reading. Just to make sure, Kate shut her eyes tight one last time, but to her dismay, he was still there when she opened them.

The plane dipped down sharply, erupting a gasp from every passenger that was awake to feel it. The 747 wasn't at its normal capacity, and it certainly showed in the amount of vacant seats sporadically situated in the fuselage. Kate found her nails digging into the seat handle, her mind flashing back to the previous two plane crashes she had been involved in; not counting the one that crashed upon landing after returning from the Island the second time around.

But two of those... two of those had been with the one person she couldn't let go of.

The turbulence of the plane became worse. Kate looked around and saw an elderly woman praying, a few people crying and, Sawyer, casually reading his magazine, flipping through the pages to look at all the pictures. The plane dipped down again and then rapidly came up, making those who hadn't listened to the seat belt sign jump up in their seats and some, even fall to the floor. The squeaky wheel of the drink cart began to roll forwards and before the flight attendant could lean forward and grab it, the cart was sent cascading down the aisle way and towards the front of plane, spilling sticky beverages along a few unlucky patrons. When it hit the wall, that's when Kate realized they were in trouble.

She quickly glanced to check on her seat buddy, but, they still hadn't returned from their walk to stretch their legs. Still clinging to her seat, Kate looked back to see the lavatory sign was still on; perhaps they had gone to the bathroom and were wedged in between the walls, holding their balance and hoping for the best. Before Kate could get up and check on her seatmate, the plane dropped down once again and this time, there was no stopping it. Screams erupted from all ends of the plane, some cursing and some sobbing. Luggage began to fall from the overhead compartments, knocking some people upside the head and the heavier suitcases narrowly missing others.

"It's okay, it's going to be okay!" Kate yelled to no one, frantically searching for the one person she wanted to comfort the most, but once again, found they weren't there.

 _Everyone seems to leave me._

Kate thought to herself, one of the last thoughts she would have before hearing the round of metal tearing and air whooshing past her head and in through her ears. The smell of blood filled the air and in an instant, most of the screaming stopped. She closed her eyes, fearing for the worst but still, hoping for the best.

"Kate!" Sawyer shouted from in front of her. "Kate!" His voice sounded strained, as if he was using all of his willpower just to scream her name.

Another appalling sound could be heard from behind her, and Kate's heart flipped and flopped; the plane had surely been separated into pieces, and if anyone would wake from this disaster they would inevitably find themselves miles and miles apart. Kate still refused to open her eyes.

"Jack!" she found herself shouting. "Are you there?"

The wind answered her call, beckoning her forwards by uprooting her seat from the floor and sending her to what Kate thought was a death well earned. But, little did she know that was not what was going to be waiting for her when she opened her eyes.

"Jack!" She called again, and then after, something else that no one could hear and would be lost in the ears of the storm. Something hard hit her in the back and shooting pain began to crawl up her shoulder blade and into her neck, creeping slowly until it was too much to bare alone. She clawed for something, for someone, to hang onto. She felt her body hit down on something rough and then, water began to seep into her clothing and pull down her hair in a strong current. The salty liquid burned her nostrils and sparked a fire in her lungs and as she tried to scream, it chocked her from being able to.

 _Alone again._

She thought before darkness embraced her in a rugged hold and then, slowly let her go until she felt as if she was dancing underneath a starry sky.


	2. New Places, Old Faces

"It's okay, you're going to be okay."

The soft reassuring voice spoke to Brooke calmly, and for a moment she had a vision that she was a little girl again being lulled to sleep by her mother's voice.

 _Mom._

"Mom!" Brooke yelled, sitting up where she sat in the sand only to find pain awaiting her. She leaned over onto her elbow and spat out a mouthful of fresh velvet blood. Her chest hurt and her abdomen ached even more. With shaky hands she placed a hand to her stomach, only to find a cool metal object awaiting, poking out of her skin.

"Don't try to move! Help is on the way." It was a male's voice, and this time they were more agitated than the last time they had spoke. Brooke tried to take in her surroundings: she could see the ocean, whitecaps rolling in along a sandy white beach where a few dozen people sat, either crying or nursing their recent injuries they had sustained. In the ocean there were more people- or perhaps they were just bodies floating... Brooke couldn't tell from the distance she sat at, propped up against the person who had taken a great interest in her health.

"What... happened?"

"You were in a plane crash," the voice spoke again. "Don't talk, it'll only make things worse."

It wasn't a mass of people in the ocean, it was the wing of the plane, slowly drifting away from the beach. Miscellaneous items such as suitcases and seats could be seen washing ashore; some with bodies still buckled in. Brooke threw up.

This wasn't how things were supposed to go. She was supposed to arrive in Bangkok with her mother, jet legged and ready for the next adventure. She listened for the sirens of an ambulance or the shouts of paramedics like the voice had promised, but all she could hear was the tropical trees that rustled the palm trees above her head.

"I'm here!" another voice, male, sprang out of the bushes, his breathing rugged. He dropped to his knees beside where Brooke lay on her rescuer's lap. "Did you find her like this?"

"She was in the forest near the treeline. Face down in the dirt, this piece of metal, it looks like part of a hand towel rack and..."

"That's enough, Ben, thank you."

The second voice took Brooke out of the first voice's- Ben- lap, and gently eased her down onto the sand. People down the beach began to scream for help, begging anyone to help them with their wounds or for those who were dying around them. Brooke heard Ben get up and run down to help the others, giving orders of where to go and who to talk to. Who were these people?

"Mom?" Brooke whispered again, lacking the energy to scream it.

Placing one hand around the metal and the other against her side, the man beside Brooke took one, long, deep breath. "What's your name?" He asked before, yanking on the shard.

"Brooke."

"Well, Brooke," the man nodded to her. "This is going to hurt."

The metal shard came out with ease but not without the blood curdling scream that erupted from deep down in her throat. The pain sent Brooke catapulting forwards like a rocket. The man caught her before she could fall onto her face again and slowly but surely, the pain took over her entire body until her eyelids fluttered and she could no longer keep a conscious train of thought. But, she kept landing on one:

Mom.

* * *

 **Two Weeks earlier:**

The school bell had rung nearly two hours ago, and still, Brooke sat on the bench outside of the Principal's office, fiddling with a hair elastic in between her fingers. They had been talking for hours about her fate at school, surely they had come to a conclusion by now? Brooke could already imagine the argument she'd have with her mother on the car ride home. She'd tell her to smarten up and think about her future. Colleges wouldn't accept anyone who had track record of violent fights and 'drug abuse' on school property; it was one small joint at one small moment in time, she had just happened to get caught.

Finally, the door to the office opened and Brooke straightened up, grabbing the strap of the backpack that sat down by her feet, ready to go home. The Principal came out first, his eyes fixated on Brooke's, staring deep into her soul; Brooke had a theory he was truly the Devil in disguise, but surely the Devil himself wouldn't want to impersonate a High School Principal, would he? And he certainly wouldn't be sporting a beer belly and thinning gray hair throughout his head, giving him patches.

Kate came out next, her eyes locking with the ground, not able to make a connection with Brooke. Kate thanked the Principal for this time and waited as Brooke gathered her backpack and her binder from the bench.

"What did he say?" Brooke asked, her blue eyes hoping for an optimistic answer. Kate kept her lips shut, keeping a sharp eye on the front doors ahead. "Mom?" Brooke said, this time shouting.

"We'll talk about it in the car." Kate hissed, having had enough of her seventeen year old daughter's antics. As they made their way out of the building and into the evening sun that glowed down upon Los Angeles, Brooke trailed behind Kate like a puppy with its tail in between its legs; she knew she was in trouble. The second Brooke shut the passenger door, the argument began.

"You're suspended for two weeks," Kate turned the key in the ignition sharply. "But you're grounded for longer."

"Just like Principal Haven to give me two weeks! He hates me! He suspends Conner Carlson for five days for setting a small fire in the boy's washroom but me? Two weeks for-"

"For multiple fights you've gotten into over the past three days," Kate angrily threw the car into reverse. "Talking back to your teachers," fired the shift back into drive. "And, not to mention the stash of weed they found in your locker. You're a hazard to everyone there!" Kate stepped down on the gas and the car pulled out onto the street, cutting off an angry man who flipped them the bird. She hadn't raised her daughter to be this way... what had she done wrong?

Brooke took the elastic from her wrist and tied her wavy dark hair up into a messy bun. "Relax, Mom. It's not like I hit anyone who didn't deserve it."

"Brooklyn, that's not the point."

"Then what is? Am I just supposed to stand there and take all the bullying? Am I supposed to be weak?"

"Colleges don't accept students with track records of violence. You should be grateful Principal Haven isn't expelling you, he's giving you a second chance."

"What if I don't want to go to college? You didn't go."

Kate smiled as she remembered thinking about college as a young girl. She would meet the perfect guy, settle on a career that was right for her but instead, she chose a different, more, gruesome path. But, she wanted more for Brooke like every parent would, and it bothered her that she didn't even try to reach for the stars.

"Mom?" Brooke's voiced lowered, her eyes fixated on the small smudge on the window. "Did Dad go to college?"

Kate's blood ran cold and her heart sunk to the pit of her stomach. She couldn't answer this question, not now... not ever.

"What did we agree upon, Brooke?"

"Just something about him! Please! The only thing I know about my father is that you and he liked each other."

"Please, just stop."

"I'll stop fighting, I'll get better grades..."

Kate abruptly pulled the car over and shoved it into park, choking back tears. "Is that what this is about? Are you rebelling in some way I'm not understanding?"

Brooke slouched in her seat and bit her lip. "Sorry, I've gone my whole life not knowing who he is. Recently I've just wanted some answers."

Silence overcame the two as they stared at each other, not daring to blink until someone looked away. It was Kate who was first to blink.

* * *

"Brooke? Can you hear me?"

Her thoughts were fuzzy, but the pain in her side had ceased and was now that of a dull drumming. She was sore, that much she knew. Brooke moaned and a trickle of blood fell down her chin, landing on the sand below. The burning sun in the sky had disappeared for the night leaving them with a clear open sky with plenty of stars shining bright. Brooke smiled.

"You've suffered a fairly bad gash in your abdomen, possible internal bleeding. Can you tell me if you can move your feet?" The second voice told her point blank.

Brooke wiggled her toes, which she noticed, someone had taken off her shoes and socks, and lifted her legs the best she could.

"Good. How does your chest feel? Are you shortage of breath? Is it heavy?"

"Fine." Brooke managed to croak, surprised at how raw her throat felt.

"No damage to your lungs then, that's good to hear."

Brooke's vision came back into focus on a man sitting not too far from her. He looked maybe in his late forties early fifties, a short gray stubble protruding from his chin and a grey dusting in his dark hair. He wore a white shirt that had seen better days and jeans that looked unharmed from the crash, no tears or holes.

"Are you a paramedic? Someone who helped with the crash? Why am I not in a hospital? What's your name?" Brooke asked, and the man in front smiled and laughed softly at her ignorance.

"My name's Jack, I'm a doctor, and I did help with the aftermath of the crash, I was able to save a few, including yourself."

"Where am I?" Brooke was becoming worried; had she been kidnapped by this man?

"I can't tell you exactly where, but you're somewhere, on a map, that is."

Brooke's head began to spin again, each thought tripping over the next. Looking around she realized people had bunked down for the night, creating shelters out of leaves and sticks they had gathered. She tried not to look at the mounds that lay at the end of the beach with blankets and sticks covering their bodies.

"I was in the bathroom when the plane went down," Brooke's bottom lip quivered just thinking about it. "My Mom was still in her seat. Has anyone come looking for me?"

Jack paused and put his head down; he didn't want to let this teenager know the bad news that no had taken an interest in her. But he had saved her, that's all that counted. "No, but I'll ask around, there are a few people who are still unconscious, but alive. What's name?"

"Kate, Kate Austen."

And with that, Jack's world began to turn again.

* * *

 **Thank you to everyone who has been reading and has reviewed so far! It's great to know you like it and reading it! Longer chapters await, I promise!**

 **-CG**


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